Too Slow
by ilikesaddleshoes
Summary: Shinoharasan can't get Shin's obscure words out of his head as he drives to Kumiko's. A postaniverse ficlet. ShinKumi! ...a touch of Shinoharaangst


AN: So! Gokusen fanfiction…everybody with me now…OH! I adore every bit of Gokusen I can get my greedy little otaku hands on. When I wrote this only a few episodes of the live-action dorama were out on bittorrent, the manga hasn't been licensed in the US and I've got scalantions through v. 5, but I did get the Import DVD. So…I wrote this…a while ago. Ah well. This fic is based on ep. 13 of the anime. It is a ShinKumi pairing, as told by Shinohara-san. …what a tirp with the character change he underwent, yea? I hope you enjoy, read on lovelies!

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"Too Slow"

ilikesaddleshoes

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'Too Slow.' The lawyer thought to himself as he drove along the busy streets, heading toward his employers house. "Tch. That brat who was with Kumiko-chan when she got hurt. What was he thinking calling me slow? I work for the Ooedo Family. The two just don't go together, I'm always on my toes, ready for anything.

The car hooked a left at the next cross street and his face contorted slightly with disdain. 'Who does he think he is? I studied and got a degree, I do light workouts every other day to keep my body in good physical condition, I am a reliable part of the clan.'

'Too Slow indeed. He's the one who's slow. How does Kumiko-chan handle it? A whole class of students like that. I hear they're awful and misbehaved; everyone has heard of that school, and it never anything good. Still, she is the perfect person for the job. Why, Kumiko-chan has never been anything but sweet to me, always quick with a greeting or thanks. She's a nice girl, and her crush on me is kind of cute…'

The car turned right onto the final street, coasting the last few yards as he applied the brake in an almost automatically negligent fashion. Coming to a stop with his window rolled down slightly he could hear the faint sound of laughter being carried to him on a breeze. 'Funny, that's a woman's voice, and Kumiko-chan is the only woman in residence here. But the other one is a male that I don't recognize. Who is it?' Shifting into Park and turning off the engine he exited the car hastily.

"Too Slow.' The words ran through his head as he locked his car and walked through the front entrance quietly, keeping somewhat hidden to anyone in the front yard. Peeking around a plant wondering why the boy's short comment had bothered him so much, his gaze skimmed the courtyard until they came to rest on Kumiko and her companions. His eyes widened. What was she doing?

Sitting on the wood acting as a low porch around the house was Fuji, Kumiko's dog, and that same redhead brat whose words had haunted him for almost a month. What was he doing here? And…and WHY were Kumiko's arms draped around him from behind in what looked like more than a friendly embrace. As he watched, the boy…Sawada, that was his name, averted his eyes to the side briefly then tilted his head back to return the smile she cast at him, causing their hidden audience to clench his hands into fists and watch in shock as she moved to sit by his side and sit closely to him. A bit too close.

The car was silent, waiting immobile on the street where he had left it and he forgot the purpose of his visit as he entered the vehicle and slowly began to drive back home. Rewinding and re-running the scene he had witnessed again and again in his head he quickly reached his residence. Putting the car into Park once again her sat very still for a minute, thoughts awhirl. Then, suddenly, it all made sense and he laughed once at himself in a bitter tone and he leaned his head against the steering wheel, in between his hands. A month and he finally understood something that had been in his face for years. He had known she had returned his feelings so he never went the extra mile. She would always be there, waiting for him…or so he had thought. He shut his eyes.

'Too Slow, hmm?'

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END

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AN: Well darlings, I hope that was enjoyable, albeit short. Yay for Gokusen fandom being up! Let the ShinKumi-ness THRIVE! Everybody now….OH! Please review. Review and tell me you loved it. Review and tell me you hated it. Review if you have an idea for a fic you'd like to read and I'd be happy to see what I can do for you. . VIVA Gokusen!

…besides…in the live-action…Matsumoto Jun (who plays Sawada Shin) is wicked hot…


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